Thanks DFG.
Posted on 02/08/2018 8:07:10 AM PST by DFG
Fascinating pictures of America's famous WW2 Black Sheep Squadron whose efforts helped win the war in the Pacific have been released in vibrant color.
The series shows the squadron's commanding officer, Colonel Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington who received the Medal of Honour and the Navy Cross, briefing his men on strategy and tactics before the 17 October 1943 attack on Kahili airdrome at Bougainville island, Papua New Guinea.
In this raid 'Pappy' and 24 fighters circled the field where 60 enemy aircraft were based to goad them into sending a large force. In the ensuing air battle, 20 enemy aircraft were shot down and the Black Sheep (VMF-214) squadron suffered no losses.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
John Bolt was an ace in both WW2 and Korea.
Col. Bolt then completed his schooling, enrolling at age 47 in the University of Florida’s law school, where his son was also a student. The two formed a champion handball team, winning several tournaments. After graduating, Col. Bolt was an associate dean of the law school before entering private practice in New Smyrna Beach, specializing in real estate law. He was the attorney for the city’s utilities commission for 13 years. He retired in 1991.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14772-2004Sep11.html
http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/gregspringer/radios/radio_systems.htm
If you did any research on Japanese aircraft, particularly the Zero, you’d know that the taunting between aircraft was pure Hollywood hooey.
Their opposition had even less diversity.
I saw him at an airshow in Daytona Beach in the 70s... His Alma Mater (University of Washington) refused to honor him due to student protests many years ago....
See: http://stephenesherman.com/discussions/u_wash_flap.html
Thanks DFG.
Wow, Colonel Bolt was an amazing Marine pilot and American hero.
It’s unreal. All those guys who were in their late teens, even early teens in the Civil war all very old men and then all of them are gone. I found a movie last month that was utterly mind blowing, Civil war vets being interviewed and it was amazing, they had a sense of humor like anybody today. I’ll see if I can find it....
Here it is, found it! Watch this, it’s amazing..........
https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3bc_1516495317
Sunday nights, 6PM CST on H&I. (Heroes and Icons TV)
The Luftwaffe took much better care of POW’s than the Wermacht or SS did.
Goering knew that the Brits held many German pilots and wanted to make sure of their good treatment by taking good care of captured allies.
Downed allied pilots were usually interrogated by the SS or some intelligence branch but were eventually turned over to the Luftwaffe for imprisonment.
Unless they were Russian, then all bets were off.
“From the looks of that picture he couldn’t see over the instrument panel!! I hope the seat elevated.”
That is normal for a tail dragger. On the ground you can’t see directly forward. You have to steer by looking out to the sides. And even in the air you can just barely see over the ‘dash’.
BFL, thanks,
The Royal Navy was flying Corsairs off their carriers earlier, they were desperate for decent carrier fighters since their own were quite awful.
They developed a technique that the Corsair would take a circular approach to the carrier until the last minute to keep it in sight. They also allowed the pilot to elevate the seat for landing.
An RN Corsair was downed over Norway during a raid on the battleship Tirpitz and the Luftwaffe could not figure out how to fold the wings to ship it back to Germany and asked the pilot how.
The pilot told them to stuff it.
Another good WW2 aviation book is God Is My Co-Pilot by Robert Scott.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1030044.God_Is_My_Co_Pilot
I’d forgotten about that. One ride with him in a Corsair and any one of those losers would shat their panties
About 20 years ago I was sitting with some Boy Scouts from my son’s troop selling popcorn at a local supermarket. An older fellow comes out and he’s wearing veteran gear with a Black Sheep Squadron hat. I couldn’t resist engaging him in conversation and found that he had indeed flown with Pappy Boynton and later was one of the founding pilots/trainers with Top Gun. I introduced him to all the scouts and was pleasantly surprised to learn that most of them knew about the Black Sheep and of course Top Gun. I think he was pleased for being appreciated . Made my day as well.
I was a student at Gettysburg College over the 125th anniversary of the battle there. A lot of locals there remembered and spoke freely about the 75th.
“Millennials today, generally speaking, are a bunch of sissies by comparison, they make me puke.”
Everyone looks at me as though I am a dinosaur when I remark that I cannot conceive of a boy graduating from high school never once having been in a fistfight.
Baa Baa Black Sheep first came out around 1958
To his other exAirforce grand father’s chagrin, my Grandson is a terrific fan of the Corsair F4U. By now he has about 6 models of the plane.
His father was born at Cubi Point NAS so there is Naval Aviation in there some where. His other grand father pushes the P-38 or the P 51 but it will not take.
For the Record...... to see all the great WW II Naval aviation planes, make a visit to the museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola. It is America’s very best air museum.
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